At the time, the Happy Land fire was considered the largest mass murder in U.S. history. Gonzalez was convicted of murder and died in prison in 2016. The owner of the torched Southern Blvd. building was hit with several violations for having an inadequate sprinkler system and for not have proper assembly permits.

Covered bodies are seen in front of the Happy Land social club in the Bronx after a deadly fire set by Julio Gonzalez ripped through the venue in March 1990, killing 87. (David Handschuh/New York Daily News)

From an early age, Taja Marlow said her mother warned her to always be aware of her surroundings; Taja said she always made sure she knew where all the exits were.

“It was a terrible tragedy for my family,” she said. “It was very hard for them to deal with her death.”